anable



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. B. ANABLE.

INTERGHANGEABLE DIE.

No. 424,636. Patented Apr. 1, 1890.

Sec hon a-b.

W1 TNESSES:

' A TTORNEX (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. B. ANABLE.

INTERGHANGEABLE DIE.

No. 424,636. Patented Apr. 1, 1890.

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PURE T Fag. Q 59/055012 a 1N VEN T OR Ja%w/ BY J ATTORNEY? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY l3. ANABLE, OF ALBANY, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE I'I. TREADVELL, OF SAME PLACE.

INTERCHANGEABLE DIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,636, dated April 1, 1890.

Application filed August 12, 1889. Serial No. 820,462. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY B. ANABLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Interchangeable Dies; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an interchangeable die for producing raised or sunken letters in substances, but more especially in metal plates, such as tin pails, covers for the same, &c. lleretofore all dies for such purposes have been made by cutting or forming the letters or characters in the metal of the die, and such letters or characters were not removable and interchangeable, and such dies were therefore not capable of being readily changed from one set of letters or characters to another without making a new die. My invention .remedies this difficulty.

Similar figuresrefer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of my die, showing interchangeable letters set in a channel formed in the upper face of the die-body and showing the die ready to be set in the press or drop. Fig. 2 shows a similar view with the letters omitted. Fig. 3 shows a crosssection of Fig. 2, taken on line m n. Fig. & shows a view of several of the letters used with my die, showing them to be separate and interchangeable and capable of being interchangeably set in the die. Fig. 5 shows a modification of my die, showing one manner of holding the letters in position. Fig. 6 shows my die and the matrix used with it and a piece of tinned iron laid on the die-body ready to be operated on. Fig. 7 shows a piece of tinned iron aft-er being operated on, showing raised letters therein. Fig. 8 shows a cross-section of Fi 7, taken on line 7.: Z. Fig. 9 shows a front view of the matrix, showing the impressions of the type in the die sunken in the face of the matrix. Fig. 10 shows a section of Fig. 9, taken on line e f.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 shows the body of the die; 2, the removable and interchangeable letters usedtherewith; 3, a preferably solid center piece, preferably a part and portion of the material of the die-body; 4, a groove or channel formed in the face of the body of the die in which the letters are interchangeably set at will and made to read as desired; 5, set-screws used to hold the letters in position instead of locking them up with quoin; 6, matrix used with the die; 7, the sunken impressions of the type in the matrix;

- 8, raised letters made by the die.

A full description of my invention is as follows: In making my die the body 1 is prefer ably made of a solid piece of iron or steel, and one or more channels are formed in the upper face of it, said channels being made to assume any configuration and take any direction desired to suit the ideas of the maker and the work to be performed by the die. The type, letters, or characters are then made preferably of steel and preferably of the form shown in Fig. i. These type, letters, or characters are now set in the grooves or channels in the face of the die, so they will read in any manner desired, and are blocked in by quoin or held in position interchangeably by any well-known means. of any firm substance, preferably by taking an iron ring or hoop and pouring it level full of melted lead or other desired substance, which, when cold will have sufficienthardness to withstand the blows or pressure of the drop or press. This matrix, however, may be made of solid iron, steel, or other hard substance, if desired. If the lead-filled matrix is used after the melted lead is cooled, it is laid on the die and sufficient pressure is brought to bear upon it to sink the faces of the type set in the die into the face of the matrix, producing exact counter-impressions of the type in the face of the matrix. If the matrix of harder substance-iron or steel, &c.,-is used, then the matrix is set upon the die and force enough used to cause the face of the letters to be indicated on the face of the matrix, and after- A matrix is now formed.

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ward the letters are cut out of the matrix or eaten out with acids, leaving the matrix the counterpart of the die With the impression of the die sunken therein. The die and matrix being prepared, the die is set in a press or drop and the matrix is attached to the ram or monkey of the drop or press, so it can be raised up and let fall upon the die from any height desired; or if a simple pressure-press is to be used it is attached to the movable table of the press.

The operation is as follows: When the die and matrix are set, as above described, or in any other manner desired, a piece of the material to be stamped is laid upon the die and the ram or monkey, if a drop-press is used, is"

raised to any-height desired by either manual or other powerand let drop upon the material to be stamped, and the letters or characters set .in the die will be raised in the material to be stamped. If a pressure-press is used, the matrix will simply be pressed against the material and the same result Will be attained. If it isdesirable-to alter the reading of the die or introduce other characters, the type are loosened and redistributed or other characters introduced in the channel or channels in the face of the die and anew matrix is made, preferably in the manner above described,

and the operation of stamping or pressing up the letters or characters is proceeded with as before.

In the center of the die I preferably leave a solid or practically solid center piece to strengthen the die, and this center piece may also have a channel or channels in its face and type interchangeably arranged therein, if desired.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim is- In an apparatus for producing raised characters in substances, a die-body having one or more channels in its face, and models of the characters to be raised interchangeably arranged in said channels, and a matrix composed of firm substance having representations of the faces of the type or characters arranged in the channels of the die-body sunken in its face so as to correspondwith said characters in said die-body, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY 'B."ANABLE. Witnesses:

J. F. HARRIS, WV. M. BRoWN. 

